B1 Organisational Overview

The Organisation

The Education and Training Directorate is a dynamic organisation, focused on improving the provision of quality education and training in the ACT. Our work is strengthened by the partnerships we build with students, their families and the broader community.

Our Mission

The Directorate's mission is delivered by ensuring the best start for every child through high quality education and care in the early years; progress for every student ever day; great teachers and leaders in great schools; and that every Canberran is set for life through access to quality further education and training.

The Directorate's intent is that:

• every child, young person and adult will benefit from a high quality and accessible education, childcare and training system;
• every student will learn, thrive and be equipped with the skills and attitudes to lead fulfilling, productive and responsible lives; and
• our highly educated and skilled community will contribute to the economic and social prosperity of our city and the nation.

Our Priorities

The Directorate's Strategic Plan 2014-17: Education Capital: Leading the Nation describes our priorities so we can achieve our intent:

• Quality Learning: We will ensure all learners have access to powerful and relevant learning experiences.
• Inspirational Teaching and Leadership: We will build the capacities of our teachers and leaders - by design, not by chance.
• High Expectations, High Performance: We have high expectations for all and will meet the learning needs of every student.
• Connecting with Families and the Community: We will partner with families and engage with the community to build meaningful relationships.
• Business Innovation and Improvement: We will support innovation, improve our business systems and be open and accountable for our decisions.

Our Values

The Directorate takes pride in having values that are aligned with the ACT Public Service values and behaviours. These values and behaviours underpin our service delivery to the community:

• Respect: We take pride in our work and value the contribution of others.
• Integrity: We take responsibility for our decisions and actions.
• Collaboration: We work openly, seek out the views of others and welcome feedback.
• Innovation: We seek to continuously improve our services and are open to change and new ideas.

Australian Council for Educational Leaders (ACEL) Awards

Directorate recipients of ACEL leadership awards were honoured at an awards ceremony at the Canberra Convention Centre.

Left to right: Ms Diane Joseph, Director-General (recipient of ACEL Fellowship); Ms Jennie Holder, teacher, Melrose High (recipient of Keith Tronc Award for Outstanding Teacher Leadership 2013); and Ms Kerrie Blain, Principal, Telopea Park School (recipient of ACEL Fellowship).

Our Role and Stakeholders

The Directorate is responsible for the provision of early childhood education and care, school education and coordination of training and higher education in the ACT. Our clients and stakeholders include:

• students and their families;
• children accessing childcare and their families;
• registered training organisations.
• childcare providers;
• community organisations; and
• peak representative groups.

Audit Committee

The Directorate acknowledges Ms Jenny Morison for 11 years service as both a member and the chair of the Directorate's Audit Committee. Ms Morison significantly contributed to increasing the Directorate's accountability and awareness of best practice governance models. Recent examples include the Legislative Compliance Framework, grants administration risk summary reporting, and continuous improvements to the Directorate's audit, risk management and compliance functions.

Government Schools Education Council

The Directorate acknowledges Ms Dianne Kerr, who served on the Government Schools Education Council from 2007 to 2013. Ms Kerr's extensive education career allowed her to bring a valuable depth of knowledge and understanding to the Council. She also made a significant contribution as the ACT representative on the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) Board from 2008 to 2014.

Distribution of Act Public Schools

The ACT public education system has four networks:

• Belconnen, North/Gungahlin, South/Weston and Tuggeranong.

Schools in each network are led by a Network Leader.

Notes:
a. Jervis Bay School is included in the Belconnen Network.
b. Cranleigh School is included in the North/Gungahlin Network

The Directorate has responsibility for the planning and coordination of early childhood education and care and is committed to increasing the participation of children in these services.

A Snapshot of Early Childhood Education in the ACT

• Number of preschool students 5,582
• Number of public preschool sites 79
• Number of public preschool students 4,683
• Number of early childhood schools 6

Support for All ACT Students and Schools

During the reporting period, the Directorate was responsible for the regulation of 44 non-government schools, with enrolments of 28,349 students.

The Directorate also registered 177 students for home education during the reporting period, and approved and supported 502 international students.

The Directorate is responsible for the oversight and promotion of quality vocational education and training in the ACT. Its role is to provide a skilled workforce that meets the current and future needs of the economy.

A Snapshot of Vocational Education and Training in the ACT

• Number of vocational education and training students 28,473
• Number of female vocational education and training students 12,735
• Number of male vocational education and training students 15,680
• Number of students sex unidentified 58
• Number of VET students with language background other than English 4,521
• Number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander VET students 948
• Number of VET students with a disability 2,071
• Number of registered training organisations 81

Our Organisational Structure

Left to right: Ms Meg Brighton, Ms Diane Joseph, Mr Stephen Gniel, Ms Leanne Cover.

The Directorate is accountable to the ACT Minister for Education and Training, Ms Joy Burch MLA and the Minister for Higher Education, Ms Katy Gallagher MLA.

Our Senior Executive Team comprises the Director-General, Ms Diane Joseph; the Deputy Director-General, Ms Leanne Cover; Executive Director Organisational Integrity, Ms Meg Brighton and Executive Director Education Strategy, Mr Stephen Gniel.

The divisions supporting the Director-General under the responsibility of the Senior Executive Team are:

• Deputy Director-General including Governance and Assurance; Office for Schools; and Training and Tertiary Education branches;
• Education Strategy including School Performance; Student Engagement; and Learning and Teaching branches; and
• Organisational Integrity including Strategic Finance; Infrastructure and Capital Works; People and Performance; and Planning and Performance branches; and Information and Knowledge Services Section.

Organisational Structure

The organisational structure of the Directorate at 30 June 2014.

Our Planning Framework and Direction Setting Mechanisms

The Directorate's vision, priorities and performance measures are expressed in the Strategic Plan
2014-17: Education Capital: Leading the Nation. Priorities in the Strategic Plan are reflected in annual Action Plans, which detail specific initiatives to be undertaken to progress the Directorate's strategic priorities. Each business unit (branch and school) develops an annual plan to articulate specific actions.

Learners are at the centre of all that we do.

The Directorate's Strategic Plan is underpinned by key planning documents. The work program for the period 2013-14 was articulated in the 2013 and 2014 annual Action Plans which provided details of key priorities and activities for the Directorate for each of the calendar years.

The Action Plans outline activities for the year and link performance measures from the Strategic Plan against these activities. Activities in the Action Plans are translated into activities for business areas and schools through annual plans.

School plans, endorsed by school boards, are published on school websites.

The Directorate designed internal controls to monitor and manage risk in delivering the Strategic Plan. The Internal Audit program and the Risk Management Framework are the primary risk management tools to manage, monitor and report on the Directorate's risk management and audit functions.

More information on the Directorate's governance arrangements, including risk management and the audit program, is provided in Sections C1 to C5.

Performance Highlights 2013-14

The Annual Report measures the Directorate's performance against the Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan sets out the vision for the Directorate as well as strategic objectives for the Directorate to follow, linked to the 2014 Action Plan.

Priorities	Priority 1	Priority 2
The Strategic Plan contains priorities to be achieved over a four year period	Quality learning	Inspirational teaching and leadership
Major Achievements in 2013-14	All public preschools offered 15 hours of preschool education to their students. Student progress for years 1 to 10 was reported using National Achievement Standards for Phase 1 Curriculum subjects. 2014 Australian Curriculum Implementation Plan guided continued introduction of Australian Curriculum across all ACT schools. First stage of the $8.1m Tuggeranong Sustainable Learning Trade Training Centre was opened. Met all milestones for 2013 under the National Partnership on Skills Reform.	Refocused induction program provided to more than 470 new teachers. Five additional graduates recruited under the Teach for Australia program. Classroom teacher contracts were issued to 314 new staff. Forty-six teachers promoted to Executive Teacher (Professional Practice) positions. Twenty-six scholarship students were awarded Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care.
Results	ACT students topped the nation in NAPLAN. 89% of students graduated with a Year 12 Certificate.	95% of staff retained in the Directorate. 89% of school staff satisfied with public school education.
Our Challenges in 2013-14	A national review of the Australian Curriculum commenced in 2014. The Directorate remains committed to the Australian Curriculum.	A proposal for a Centre for Teaching and Learning at the University of Canberra was not progressed following the 2014 Federal Budget.

Priorities	Priority 3	Priority 4	Priority 5
The Strategic Plan contains priorities to be achieved over a four year period	High expectations, high performance	Connecting with families and the community	Business innovation and improvement
Major Achievements in 2013-14	Eight scholarships worth $5,000 for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in years 11 and 12 awarded. Implementation of the recommendations from the report of the Minister's Taskforce on Students with Learning Difficulties. Modelling undertaken to ensure government subsidies for training aligned with ACT skills needs.	Preschool Matters website launched to increase engagement and involvement of parents in preschool. A Parent's Guide to Enrolment was published. The School Volunteer Program attracted 115 volunteers. Gifted and Talented Students Policy launched. Commenced Progressing Parental Engagement in the ACT project.	Quality performance data was reported at the national level. Upgrade to Taylor Primary School completed. Work well progressed on the $14m CCCares facility at Canberra College. Plans for a new primary school in Coombs announced in the ACT budget. New arrangements implemented to streamline school budgets and staffing.
Results	92% of year 12 graduates employed or studying after leaving school. 80% of apprentices satisfied with their training.	Preschool enrolments in public schools increased by 9%. 83% of parents and carers satisfied with public school education.	Taylor Primary, Duffy Primary and Holder Early Childhood Centre nominated for ACT Master Builders Award. Three schools received ACTSmart Schools 'Five Star Accreditation' for sustainable management of energy.
Our Challenges in 2013-14	Progress in closing the achievement gap for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. Transition to new program arrangements as a result of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), with the Directorate providing support to families.	Work to increase access to school facilities by community organisations being progressed. Clearer communication with families and an easing of 'red tape' was identified as an area for action.	Asbestos remediation, including removal of damaged sheet, window caulking, pipe lagging and reinstatement with new material, was completed without incident at a number of sites. The average age of school facilities is 40 years with 65% of schools between 30 and 50 years old.

Student work on display at Dickson College

Priority 1:Quality Learning

We will ensure all learners have access to powerful and relevant learning experiences.

Student library at Garran Primary

Our Major Achievements

The Directorate is committed to continuing to lead the nation in student performance in literacy and numeracy. Activities to improve educational outcomes have been developed and achievements have been made.

• Student progress in Phase 1 of the Australian Curriculum learning areas was reported using nationally agreed Achievement Standards from kindergarten to year 10.
• The 2014 Australian Curriculum Implementation Plan was developed with non-government schooling sectors to support the phased implementation of the kindergarten to year 10 Australian Curriculum in all ACT schools.
• NAPLAN testing was carried out in May 2014 with more than 18,000 students in ACT schools participating.
• The ACT Standards for Delivery of Training and the associated Compliance Guide were introduced. These benchmark documents outline the mandatory standards for the management and delivery of government funded vocational education and training in the ACT. The Audit Guide for Training Providers in the ACT has been developed to assist registered training organisations in meeting their compliance obligations.
• Construction of the Tuggeranong Sustainable Learning Trade Training Centre progressed, with the opening of the first stage of the $8.1m facility. The Centre will ensure students have local access to trade training and assistance in determining vocational learning pathways.
• The Tutorial Support Scheme continued to provide funding to high schools and colleges for extension opportunities and additional tutoring for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to improve literacy and numeracy skills.
• Public schools continued to excel in the delivery of science education. Calwell High School engaged its students in the CSIRO CREST program. Student experiments were entered into the ACT Science Fair, with two progressing to the BHP Billiton National Science Awards. The Inter-Academics Executive Committee of the Academy of Science Primary Connections Program was hosted at Fadden Primary School. Students at Isabella Plains Early Childhood School learnt about sustainability and life cycles through programs run on their school farm.
• Wrap-around services, work placements and foundation skills funded under the Priorities Support Program were provided to support disadvantaged learners to remain engaged in, and complete, their training.
• The ACT met all milestones for 2013 under the National Partnership on Skills Reform, and was on track for agreed training outcomes to be met by 2017.
• All public schools in the ACT offered access to 15 hours of preschool in 2014, ensuring children had access to high quality preschool services.
• The National Quality Framework for education and care services was implemented, with nearly half of education and care services in the ACT undertaking assessment and being rated.
• The Greek-Australian Preschool and Child Care Centre in Yarralumla was opened. The Centre is an important contribution to cultural diversity within the Canberra community and the educational sector.
• A record 12,452 students participated in the 2013 Chief Minister's Reading Challenge. The program encourages a love of reading and helps students improve their literacy skills – with each other, their teachers and parents.
• A Human Rights Education Forum was coordinated by the Directorate to provide principals and teachers with strategies to lead human rights education in their schools and to assist schools to implement the Australian Curriculum, Civics and Citizenship.

Our Challenges

• The Student Identifiers Bill 2014 went through Federal Parliament in June 2014, delaying implementation to 1 January 2015.
• As a result of a registered training organisation ceasing delivery of training, the Directorate ensured support was provided to approximately 300 Australian apprentices to enable them to continue training for their future career.
• A national review of the Australian Curriculum commenced in 2014. The ACT remains committed to ongoing development and implementation of the Australian Curriculum in 2015 and beyond.
• Changes to Australian Government funding of school education beyond 2017 impacted on long-term planning for both the public and non-government sectors. The Directorate continued with work to implement needs based funding model from 2015.

Our Plans for the Next 12 Months

• The Directorate's focus on the successful implementation of the Australian Curriculum in kindergarten to year 10 across all ACT schools will continue. The Directorate will continue the development of work sample portfolios for publication on the Australian Curriculum website.
• The ACT Implementation Schedule for 2015 will be finalised, with a focus on Phase 2 and 3 of the Australian Curriculum.
• A new Student Reporting Policy will be developed and implemented, as will a common report template for A - E reporting.
• Teachers will be given additional support, through the development and provision of readily accessible high quality online curriculum resources. The development of curriculum-linked, accessible and high quality online resources will support teachers to deliver the curriculum.
• Intensive reading intervention strategies will be emphasised to engage and develop students in the early years to achieve desired learning outcomes.
• The Directorate will implement strategies to improve the quality, transparency, efficiency, access and equity of the ACT vocational education and training system to support all students in training programs.
• The Trades Skills Centre in Belconnen will be established to provide local students with ready access to support and training in their transition to career pathways.
• A review of the ACT Year 12 Certificate will be completed, with a particular focus on English as mandatory to year 12, to enhance students' level of achievement in the college years.
• New governance arrangements will be implemented to give greater autonomy to CIT and allow CIT to remain strong in an increasingly competitive environment.

Fast Facts

Priority 2: Inspirational Teaching and Leadership

We will build the capacities of our teachers and leaders - by design, not by chance Hargreaves and Fullan, 2012

Our Major Achievements

The Directorate demonstrated its commitment to the importance of great teachers being the foundation of our public education system by building the capacity of our teachers and leaders.

• Classroom teacher contracts were issued for 314 new staff. This number comprised 31 classroom teachers located in early childhood schools, 176 classroom teachers in primary school settings, 80 classroom teachers in high school settings and 27 classroom teachers in colleges.
• The acceleration of outstanding classroom teachers was implemented through a rigorous three stage assessment program. Classroom teachers were assessed in alignment with the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.
• A suite of professional learning tools was developed to support teachers in their understanding of the needs of students with learning difficulties.
• Language Teaching Assistants were selected and recruited to support the achievement of student learning outcomes in language education programs.
• A further five high quality graduates were recruited under the Teach for Australia (TFA) program. This brings the total number of TFA Associate Teachers in the ACT over the last three years to 22.
• The Australian Professional Standards were integrated into ACT teachers' Annual Professional Discussions.
• Online learning modules covering Health and Safety, the Respect Equity and Diversity (RED) Framework, the Teachers' Code of Professional Practice and Mandatory Reporting were made available.
• The Accepting the Challenge ongoing leadership program continued to improve the educational outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students through the raising of cultural awareness.
• Three Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tertiary scholarships were awarded to teaching students at the University of Canberra and the Australian Catholic University.
• Alfred Deakin High School focused on further roll-out of the 2012 Quality Teaching Rounds pilot study, which ran in conjunction with the University of Newcastle. Twelve additional facilitators were trained by the Behaviour Support Partner and all teachers participated in a quality teaching round, during which they observed and provided feedback on each other's lessons.
• The Disability Standards for Education e-learning package was completed by 528 teachers from 59 schools. The online learning linked classroom practices with the framework.
• The Literacy and Numeracy Field Officer program was delivered to 21 schools to support best practice in literacy teaching and learning.
• Count Me in Too and the Middle Years' Mental Computation professional learning for teachers further developed teacher capability.
• The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment Action Plan 2014-2017 was launched, outlining plans for achieving the goals in the ACT Public Service Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment Strategy 2011-2015. The plan focuses on cultural competency, registration for casual employment and identified positions.
• The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Staff Network provided opportunities for staff to connect across roles and professions and provide input into strategic directions for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment, retention, career pathways and leadership opportunities.
• Coaching and mentoring was provided to teachers through the Executive Teacher (Professional Practice) program, with opportunities for staff to observe and apply successful strategies to achieve best practice.
• A refocused induction program was provided for new teachers. More than 470 teachers attended an introduction to teaching in ACT public schools at the start of the 2014 school year. As part of the new program, four online learning modules were developed to meet compliance requirements.
• Twenty-six students were recipients of scholarships and were awarded a Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care.
• Forty-six teachers were promoted to Executive Teacher (Professional Practice) positions during 2012 to 2014 and were placed in schools across Canberra. These positions provide an alternative career opportunity for teachers, with a focus on exemplary classroom teaching and capacity building in teaching practice through mentoring.
• Teacher development benefited from connections with local, national and international educators. This included Maquarie Primary School working with Amanda Burrell of Cativus, to explore how the school's guiding principles were embedded in practice; and Dr Barry Bennet, Associate Professor at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto, who assisted the executive staff in framing the role of the Executive Teacher (Professional Practice) position.
• High quality teacher professional learning was delivered to meet the specific needs of gifted and talented students, students with learning difficulties and students for whom English is an Additional Language or Dialect.

Our Challenges

• The Directorate's challenge is to provide our students with staff trained in the development of cultural competency and in the application of respect, equity and diversity in our workplaces, reflecting the diversity of the ACT community.
• During the reporting period the Directorate has undertaken a strategic analysis of capability development requirements by identifying 5 key cohorts of employees. The challenge continues to be the sourcing of high quality capability development opportunities.
• A proposal for a Centre for Teaching and Learning at the University of Canberra was not progressed following the 2014 Federal Budget.

Our Plans for the Next 12 Months

• The Directorate will maintain its focus on recruitment, development and retention of quality teachers in our classrooms to provide the highest level of learning experiences for our students.
• The Directorate will put in place processes to ensure public school teachers have high quality literacy and numeracy skills.
• The Directorate will continue to utilise the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) frameworks to further build excellence in school leadership and in public school teachers.
• School workforce profiles will be developed in collaboration with school leaders to allow schools greater decision-making in the selection of staff. This will further develop high performing teaching and support teams in public school classrooms.

Fast Facts

Science learning space at Gungahlin College

Priority 3: High Expectations, High Performance

We have high expectations for all and will meet the learning needs of every student.

Reading corner at Franklin Early Childhood School

Our Major Achievements

The Directorate expects that every student will learn, thrive and be equipped with the skills and attitudes to lead fulfilling, productive and responsible lives.

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from years 5-12 displaying high academic achievement, leadership potential and consistent engagement in their schooling were assisted through the Student Aspirations Program. One hundred and sixty-four students were linked with Student Aspirations Coordinators. New Student Aspirations Program scholarships were awarded to students in years 11 and 12, comprising seven teaching scholarships and one health scholarship.
• The student leadership body, the Minister's Student Congress, focussed on student voice in prevention of bullying, as well as developing and running the conference on the National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence. Through the National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence Conference, the ACT was the only Australian jurisdiction that brought together students from public, independent and Catholic schools to discuss and develop strategies to ensure student voice to address bullying back at their schools.
• Learning of languages was prominent in public schools in 2013 and 2014. Amaroo School competed in the Language Perfect World Championships, placing 8th in their school size category. The school also had five finalists in the George Vincent French Reading and Speaking Competition.
• Music was the focus at many schools. Students from Aranda Primary School participated in several school choirs which performed at community events. The choirs were possible due to the large number of students at the school (more than 200) participating in the after-school Arts and Music program. School choir was also a highlight at Arawang Primary School, with the senior choir winning the National Eisteddfod in the under years 12 age group.
• The CHANCES Program provided training programs for students through funding provided from the Priorities Support Program, in order to respond to disadvantage.
• Modelling was undertaken to develop a tool to ensure that government subsidies for training were aligned with the skills needs for the ACT.
• The Qualification Pricing Review was released to determine the efficient total cost of qualifications delivered in the ACT.
• The 2014 Priorities Support Program piloted aspects of the ACT Entitlement to Training model. For example, the funding allocation was informed by the ACT Skills Needs List and provided foundation skills and wrap-around services to participants. The Program enabled access to government subsidised training for Certificate I and II level qualifications where there was a clear pathway to a higher level qualification.
• Thirty-seven public schools received grants to support school-based learn to swim programs to enable ready availability for students to develop water safety skills.
• Students at University of Canberra Senior Secondary College Lake Ginninderra participated in the 2020 Youth Parliament on Sustainability, where green papers prepared by the students were selected for use in developing a white paper to advise government on what the youth of Canberra saw as priorities for the sustainable future of the ACT.
• ACT primary schools participated in a trial of Monkey in My Chair Program to ensure that students facing long term illness maintain their presence in the classroom.
• Participation in creative arts was facilitated and encouraged in schools. Turner School held an Artists' and Writers' Festival, which included transforming the school into a magical place for creations and setting the scene for eight days of author and artist's visits, writing, illustrating, Indigenous stories, whole-school read aloud, cartooning and the special "Poems in your Pocket" event.

Our Challenges

• The rollout of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) will change the provision of some programs and services delivered to students with a disability or developmental delay.  The Directorate has put in place a range of communication strategies, including information updates, to ensure families and school communities have the information they need about NDIS.
• The Directorate is supporting families, students and schools as they transition to the new model of service delivery under the NDIS.

Fred Hollows Awards

Our Plans for the Next 12 Months

• The Directorate will provide increased opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to excel through personalised learning, increased year 12 opportunities, together with post-school education and training.
• Public school communities will further demonstrate respect, equity and diversity through additional awareness raising and professional development.
• The Directorate will implement Skilled Capital, a $21m initiative, and increase the levels of contestability within the ACT vocational education and training market. The Directorate will engage more than 2,000 Canberrans in Skilled Capital funded training to address the ACT's highest skills needs.
• School leaders will have access to additional professional development in order to support gifted and talented students.
• To address ACT skills needs as part of the ACT Entitlement to Training under the National Partnership Agreement for Skills Reform, a new evidence based funded training initiative will be implemented.
• Recommendations from the Taskforce on Students with Learning Difficulties will continue to be implemented.
• The Directorate will work to put in place programs to ensure that all students have access to a water safety program by the time they leave primary school.
• Key policies including Outdoor Education and Physical Education and Sport, ACT Public Schools Food and Drink and Safe and Supportive Schools, will be reviewed.

Fast Facts

Priority 4: Connecting with Families and the Community

We will partner with families and engage with the community to build meaningful relationships.

Our Major Achievements

Significant activities undertaken by the Directorate to partner with families and engage with the community to build meaningful relationships included:

• The Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth was engaged for Progressing Parental Engagement in the ACT. The project is designed to strengthen parental engagement across all education sectors in the ACT.
• A Parents' Guide to Enrolment was published to provide information on enrolment procedures and clarify priority enrolment areas to assist parents when enrolling their children in public schools.
• Online enrolment was implemented across all public schools. The system simplified enrolment processes for families.
• The ACT Careers and Transitions website was released. Developed to provide young people with online assistance with their Pathways Planning, the site provided career development and transition education discussions to occur with students, parents and carers.
• Network Student Engagement Teams and Disability Education Partners strengthened parent/school relationships. The Transition Action Plan supported students with disabilities and their families to transition across school sectors.
• The ACT School Volunteer Program attracted 115 volunteers mentoring and supporting students in 33 schools and two colleges.
• The Preschool Matters website was launched to encourage parental engagement and involvement in early childhood education. Both the website and supporting publications provided information to parents and carers about ACT education and support services for preschool aged children. Funding to support parental engagement was provided through $500 grants to 20 preschool organisations.
• The 2013 Training Excellence Awards were held to identify, reward and promote the achievements of apprentices, trainees, vocational students, trainers, employers, schools and registered training organisations committed to vocational education and training in the ACT. The Awards demonstrated the ACT Government's commitment to building a trained, skilled and flexible workforce to meet current and emerging employment needs.

Our Challenges

• Work to increase access to school facilities by community organisations will be completed in 2014-15. The work examines a broad range of possible uses of school facilities and how these can be accommodated.
• Clearer communication with families and an easing of 'red tape' was identified as an area for action in order to enhance community engagement in public schools.
• Formal liaison with the broader education and training community was a focus given local and community reforms.  In 2014-15 two new field officers will work directly with local vocational education and training stakeholders to improve reputation, awareness, engagement and connections.

Our Plans for the Next 12 Months

• The Directorate focuses on maximising opportunities for families to have positive involvement in supporting the education of their children. Engagement with parents and carers through school/community partnerships will be explored.
• Opportunities for regular communication and collaboration between vocational education and training stakeholders will continue to be enhanced. The Directorate will collaborate with industry to share and gather evidence to inform skills and training policy directions and implementation.
  The Progressing Parental Engagement Project will continue throughout 2014-15, with the Australian
• Research Alliance for Children and Youth working with key stakeholders to develop a technical and plain-langague definition of parental engagement. A survey to measure levels of parental engagement will be developed and trialled in 2015. Development of online resources and strategies to support high quality parental engagement in ACT schools will commence in 2015.

Fast Facts

Students performing at Step into the Limelight, 2013

New classrooms at Duffy Primary School

Priority 5: Business Innovation and Improvement

We will support innovation, improve our business systems and be open and accountable for our decisions.

Our Major Achievements

The Directorate has an ongoing commitment to providing high quality learning environments for students through facility upgrades and expansions. Increasing accountability and transparency of school performance has occurred with high quality data to monitor and drive improvement.

• ACT school satisfaction surveys were revised in 2013 to provide consistency with other states and territories in nationally agreed terminology.
• The Australian School Climate Measurement Tool Survey was used by all public schools to assist in determining future school directions.
• Quality performance data was reported at the national level on several occasions, including in National Partnerships, to showcase the quality of education, care and training provided in the ACT.
• All schools developed an Annual Operating Plan.
• Twenty-three schools took part in the system's external validation process.  This process provides a mechanism to support schools' self-evaluation and improvement planning. The process produces a report that includes an overview of the validated schools and recommendations at a system level.
• The SchoolsNET ICT network was implemented in 85 public schools.
• The Digital Backpack was developed and introduced to provide single sign-on access to the content and resources of the Australian Curriculum, to support teachers in its implementation in public schools.
• Innovative teaching and learning was highlighted through the trial by eight schools of Microsoft and Google devices and platforms.
• An e-Book distribution system was trialled to provide schools with greater access to available resources.
• The Forecasting of Industry Needs and Entitlement (FINE) modelling tool to identify the skills needs of the ACT was developed through consultation with industry, employers, training providers and members of the wider community. FINE identifies areas of skills needs within the ACT and the vocational education qualifications typically required for employment. The draft ACT Skills Needs List was publicly released in July 2013.
• Major work was undertaken to upgrade and develop learning environments across educational settings in the ACT. Education facilities were developed at the Tuggeranong Sustainable Learning Trade Training Centre and preliminary design work for the primary school at Coombs was completed.
• New arrangements were implemented to streamline school budgets and staffing.
• The Holder Early Childhood Centre was shortlisted in the 2014 Master Builders and Cbus Excellence in Building Awards. The impressive building provided 124 childcare places with extensive landscaped areas and facilities. The Centre catered for all areas of Weston Creek and the developing Molonglo suburbs.
• Work commenced to extend Latham Preschool to provide two additional preschool rooms.
• Work was well progressed on the $14m Canberra College Cares facility.
• The Directorate's Disability Education Life Page was developed to further build a supportive community of learners across the ACT by recording and sharing ideas and examples of best practice in schools.
• The development of the Injury Management Toolkit supported principals and managers to undertake their roles and responsibilities in managing the return to work of staff members.

Our Challenges

• A number of school sites required hazardous material remediation,  including removal of damaged sheet, window caulking, pipe lagging and reinstatement with new material. The work in 2013-14 was completed without incident, ensuring the safety of staff and students. A Hazardous Material Survey and Management Plan is updated every three years for all schools and includes an annually updated Asbestos Register.
• As school enrolments change over time, the challenge is to design new schools to meet the longer-term enrolment projections and to use relocatable classrooms to meet peak enrolment demand. With existing schools, the challenge is to avoid redundant spaces as enrolments decrease and to identify alternative community uses for those spaces.
• The ACT Government has set an aspirational target for ACT public schools to be 'carbon neutral' by 2017. This sets the challenge for schools to reduce energy and water consumption and to maintain environmentally sustainable landscapes.
• The Directorate is currently preparing a Strategic Asset Management Plan to inform medium and long term decisions on facility management.

Our Plans for the Next 12 Months

• The Directorate will continue to respond to the need for development and improvement of facilities in schools by developing a school modernisation program. The Directorate will also invest in the development and improvement of early childhood education and care and vocational training facilities. This will include school facilities at Belconnen High School, Tuggeranong Introductory English Centre (at Wanniassa Hills Primary School), Canberra College Cares, Belconnen Trade Skills Centre and Coombs Primary School.
• Post-occupancy evaluations will be conducted at Neville Bonner Primary School and Franklin Early Childhood School.
• The ACT Vocational Education and Training Administration Records System, the new web-based vocational education and training administration system with an interactive portal for students, employers and registered training organisations will be implemented in 2015.
• The Latham preschool upgrade will be completed as will the upgrades of childcare centres at Totom House, Forrest (extension), Gungahlin, Appletree House and Treehouse in the Park.

Fast Facts